CAMDEN, NJ — Following their Monday morning practice session, the Philadelphia 76ers provided several injury updates, most notably on Joel Embiid and Paul George. Embiid was previously under re-evaluation for 10 days due to continued swelling in his knee, while George suffered a jammed finger in the Sixers’ Saturday night matchup against the Bulls and underwent an MRI and ultrasound.
Ahead of the typical post-practice media availability, a representative of the Sixers announced that Joel Embiid’s knee “responded well to treatment,” and he was a partial participant in Monday’s practice. Meanwhile, Paul George’s MRI and ultrasound continued to be reviewed, and he did not practice Monday.
The representative also announced that Embiid would miss both games of the Tuesday and Wednesday night back-to-back against the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings, while George was set to miss the game against the Lakers at the very least.
It’s been one step forward and four back for the Sixers all season long. Having secured a hard-fought couple of wins against the Cavaliers and the Bulls, the Sixers are returning home for a difficult stretch where they will face the Nuggets, Celtics, Mavericks, and Heat, in addition to the Lakers and Kings.
The fanbase’s frustrations are surely continuing to mount, but even without their two stars, Philadelphia has to continue to fight. As evidenced by the team’s second-half performance without George against the Bulls, they are capable of it; it’s simply time to deliver on that potential.
One more negative update before some much-needed positivity. Andre Drummond also missed the team’s Monday morning practice, according to a Sixers representative. Drummond has continued to miss time on and off since coming back from a toe injury he suffered last month against the San Antonio Spurs. The status Sixers’ reserve center has not officially been decided but his absence at practice is less than ideal.
As for more positive updates, Caleb Martin and Kyle Lowry were full participants in practice, while KJ Martin returned for partial practice. Lowry’s return already provided a bit of a spark to the Sixers in Chicago. The return of both Martins would be key for a Philadelphia squad that is tremendously shorthanded and continues to push toward the playoffs.
